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AMES  BUR 


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BT    355    .B96    1911 

Burrell,  David  James,  1844- 

1926. 
At  the  gate  beautiful 


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AT    THE    GATE    BEAUTIFUL 

Reproduced  from  original  oil  painting 

By  Aithur  S.  Covey.        Copyright  1911  by  American  Tract  Society 


tr  rt.iiJ''- 


\ 


AT    THE 

GATE  BEAUTIFUL 

THE   STORY   OF  A    DAY 


BY 


V' 


DAVID    JAMES    BURRELL 


^-^%1) 


AMERICAN    TRACT    SOCIETY 

150  Nassau  Street 

New  York 


Copyright,  1911,  by 
Ameeican  Tract  Society 


^^HZZ^:^^My     W^^^^/  w^^-^^e^ 


J 


TABLE    OF    CONTENTS 


PAGE 


Foreword 5 

A  Notable  Miracle 7 

An  Eloquent  Sermon 19 

An  Extraordinary  Trial 32 

An  Eventful  Meeting 45 

An  Ideal  Community 58 


FOREWORD 

IT  was  on  an  April  day,  a.d.  33,  not 
long  after  the  Day  of  Pentecost, 
that  these  things  happened.  They 
covered  a  brief  period  of  not  more  than 
fifteen  hours — from  the  time  of  the  eve- 
ning sacrifice,  3  p.m.,  until  candlelight 
the  next  day.  But  what  a  memorable 
fifteen  hours  they  were;  and  what  issues 
have  flowed  out  of  that  day! 


AT  THE  GATE  BEAUTIFUL 

A    NOTABLE    MIRACLE 

npHE  leaders  of  the  Jews  had  recently  been 
-■-       disturbed  by  a  series  of  significant  events. 
Their  hope  was  that  the  crucifixion   of   Christ 
would  make  an  end  of  his  propaganda ;  but  the 
tragedy  was   scarcely  over   before   the    air  was 
vibrant  with  rumors  of  his  resurrection.     He  had 
shown  himself  to  many  of  his  disciples,  to  five 
hundred  on  one  occasion,  all  of  whom  were  pre- 
pared to  say  they  had  seen  and  conversed  with 
him.     Then  came  the  Day  of  Pentecost  and  the 
preaching  of  this  Crucified  Christ  to  a  multitude 
with  such  effect  that  thousands  espoused  his  cause. 
On   that   day  his   disciples  were  endowed  with 
spiritual  gifts,  known  as  charismata,  by  which 
they   were  enabled    to    perform   wonders    in    his 
name.     The  healing  of  the  cripple  at  the  Gate 
Beautiful  was  in  evidence.      It  was  clear  to  the 
religious  leaders  that  they  were  mistaken  in  sup- 
7 


8  AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

posing  that  they  had  disposed  of  Jesus.  His  in- 
fluence was  a  troublesome  fact,  which  was  likely 
to  vex  them  more  and  more.  "What  shall  we 
do  to  these  men?"  they  asked,  "for  that  indeed 
a  notable  miracle  hath  been  wrought  through 
them  is  manifest  to  all  that  dwell  in  Jerusalem ; 
and  we  cannot  deny  it, ' '  What  was  to  be  done 
about  it? 

The  miracle  was  notable  because  of  the  two 
wizards  who  had  performed  it,  namely:  Peter 
and  John,  a  Man  of  Rock  and  a  Son  of  Thun- 
der. They  were  the  original  Pope  and  Car- 
dinal ;  but  tell  it  not  in  the  Vatican !  For  this 
Pope  wore  no  tiara  and  this  Cardinal  no  scarlet 
robe.  No  acolytes  went  before  them  swinging 
censers  or  ringing  bells,  and  no  lackeys  followed 
to  carry  their  trains.  They  were  plain  men  in 
homespun,  once  partners  in  the  fishing  trade,  but 
now  serving  Christ  without  pomp  or  circum- 
stance. They  were  destined  to  be  heard  from  in 
the  coming  ages;  for  they  were  the  vanguard 
of  the  militant  church  advancing,  two  and  two,  in 
the  name  of  Christ  to  the  conquest  of  the  world. 

The  man  at  the  Gate  had  been  a  cripple  from 
his  birth.  Forty  years  he  had  suffered  from  his 
infirmity,  like  a  dog  chained  to  his  kennel.      As 


A   NOTABLE   MIRACLE  9 

far  back  as  he  could  remember,  pain  and  poverty 
had  been  his  lot.  In  childhood  he  had  looked 
enviously  on  other  children  playing  in  the  streets. 
In  the  world  of  affairs  there  was  no  room  for 
him.  Day  after  day  he  sat  wearily  at  the  gate- 
way of  the  Temple,  seeing  the  people  go  by  with 
springing  steps,  while  he  in  his  misery  sat  help- 
less, pleading  for  alms.  His  day  had  come, 
though  he  knew  it  not.  The  years  of  his  suffer- 
ing had  all  been  moving  forward  to  this  supreme 
hour.  His  case  was  not  so  hopeless  as  he  had 
deemed  it,  for  God  was  about  to  smile  upon  him. 
Beggar  as  he  was,  the  stuff  of  manhood  was  in 
him.  He  was  still  a  man,  the  ruin  of  a  man, 
the  masterpiece  of  God.  The  gates  of  Corin- 
thian brass  by  which  he  sat  would  in  process  of 
time  be  lost  and  forgotten ;  but  he  was  immortal, 
destined  to  live  beyond  "the  war  of  elements,  the 
wreck  of  matter,  and  the  crush  of  worlds. ' ' 

Let  the  cripple  tell  his  own  story:  "I  was  sit- 
ting before  the  gate  with  my  hands  stretched  out 
for  alms.  It  was  three  o'clock,  the  hour  of  the 
evening  sacrifice.  I  saw  two  men  approaching 
whom  I  knew  as  disciples  of  Jesus.  I  had  seen 
them  with  him  in  Solomon's  Porch,  when  he 
was  preaching  there  and  advancing  his  claims  as 


10        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

the  long-looked-for  Christ  and  veritable  Son  of 
God.  I  had  seen  them  always  together,  as  insep- 
arable friends,  notwithstanding  their  disparity 
in  years.  As  they  drew  near  I  dropped  my  eyes 
and  cried  piteously,  'Charity,  for  the  love  of 
Godr  Peter  said,  'Look  on  us!'  I  lifted  my 
eyes,  expecting  to  receive  something ;  whereupon 
he  said,  '  Silver  and  gold  have  I  none ;  but  what 
I  have,  that  give  I  thee.  In  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Nazareth,  walk!'  I  know  not  how  it 
was,  but  in  that  instant  hope  sprang  exultant 
within  me.  I  felt  that  the  power  of  Christ,  the 
wonder-worker,  was  able  to  heal  me  and,  with- 
out a  word  or  a  question,  I  sprang  to  my  feet ! 
My  sinews  were  unloosed ;  the  warm  current  of 
new  life  and  strength  was  flowing  in  my  veins.  I 
was  healed !  And  as  the  two  disciples  went  on 
to  the  Porch  of  the  Temple,  I  followed  them, 
walking  and  leaping  and  praising  God." 

THE    PROBLEM 

This  was  a  notable  miracle,  because  it  furnished 
the  key  to  the  most  serious  problem  of  the  ages. 
It  meant  immeasurably  more  than  the  healing  of 
one  cripple ;  no  less,  indeed,  than  the  healing  of 
all  cripples  till  the  end  of  time.      The  world  is 


A   NOTABLE   MIRACLE  11 

full  of  cripples,  of  maimed  and  halt  and  withered ; 
crippled  in  body  and  mind,  crippled  in  will  and 
conscience  and  heart ;  prisoners  of  sin  and  shame 
and  poverty,  cumberers  of  the  earth.  How  to 
reclaim  them  ?  That  is  the  problem.  How  to 
set  all  cripples  on  their  feet,  so  that  not  the  fit- 
test but  the  unfittest  shall  survive  ?  There  is  the 
problem  at  the  base  of  social  science,  the  prob- 
lem that  vexes  the  souls  of  all  philanthropists 
and  lovers  of  God.  And  the  key  to  that  problem 
is  indicated  in  the  miracle  before  us.  The  fac- 
tors are  here  furnished  for  its  solution: 

THE    FACTORS 

First,  the  name  of  Christ.  Peter  said  to  the 
multitude  who  marveled  at  the  miracle,  "Why 
fasten  ye  your  eyes  on  us,  as  though  by  our  own 
power  or  godliness  we  had  made  him  to  walk? 
By  faith  in  his  name  hath  his  name  made  this 
man  strong;  yea,  the  faith  which  is  through  him 
hath  given  him  this  perfect  soundness  in  the 
presence  of  you  all. ' ' 

Oh,  there  are  thousands  of  other  names,  names 
of  priests  and  prophets  and  patriots,  of  great 
thinkers  and  great  teachers ;  but  there  is  only  one 
Name  that  has  the  power  of  salvation  in  it !    "For 


12        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

neither  is  there  any  other  name  under  heaven, 
that  is  given  among  men,  wherein  we  must  be 
saved' ' ;  saved  from  sin  and  all  its  attending 
evils,  saved  from  fret  and  worry  and  poverty, 
from  all  moral  and  physical  ills.  This  is  the 
name  "which  is  above  every  name  that  is  named, 
not  only  in  this  world,  but  also  in  that  which  is 
to  come.'' 

"All  hail  the  power  of  Jesus'  name; 
Let  angels  prostrate  fall ; 
Bring  forth  the  royal  diadem 
And  crown  him  Lord  of  all!" 

Let  a  man  once  espouse  that  Name ;  and,  how- 
ever poor  or  crippled,  he  stands  upon  his  feet  and 
throws  away  his  beggar's  rags.  What  other 
name  can  do  it?  Plato?  Epictetus?  Marcus 
Aurelius?  Let  the  whole  soul  of  a  man  say, 
"Christ!"  and,  behold,  it  is  done!  He  who  was 
a  misery  to  himself  and  a  burden  on  society  is 
become  a  new  man  in  Christ  Jesus  and,  being 
born  again  to  self-respect  and  usefulness,  must 
needs  go  walking  and  leaping  and  praising  God. 

The  second  factor  entering  into  the  solution 
of  the  great  problem  is  the  Church.  The  Chiu-ch 
is  called  EkJclesia,  because  it  is  a  body  of  people 
"called  out"   and  separated  to  Christ.      As  he 


A   NOTABLE   MIRACLE  13 

was  "sent  into  the  world"  so  are  they  sent  and 
commissioned  "to  seek  and  to  save."  This  is 
the  business  of  every  Christian.  Is  the  Church 
attending  to  its  business  ?  Not  ideally ;  for  the 
obvious  reason  that  every  one  of  its  members  is 
still  a  sinner,  though  saved  by  grace.  But  this 
can  be  affirmed  without  a  peradventure :  the 
Church  is  doing  more  than  all  other  instrumen- 
talities on  earth  toward  the  accomplishment  of 
the  desired  end.  Why  was  the  cripple  placed  at 
the  Temple  gate  rather  than  in  the  market  or  be- 
fore the  Castle  of  Antonia  ?  Because  he  knew, 
as  everybody  knows,  that  the  people  who  pray 
are  the  people  who  pity;  that  the  people  who 
worship  are  the  people  who  give.  The  world, 
however  it  may  criticise  the  followers  of  Christ 
for  their  shortcomings,  knows  that  the  Church  is 
the  universal  almoner.  It  is  safe  to  say  that 
nine-tenths  of  all  the  charitable  work  on  earth  is 
being  done  by  the  people  who  fear  and  serve  God. 
We  hear  much  of  secular  beneficence,  but  there 
is  more  of  real  charity  in  the  little  finger  of  the 
Church  than  in  the  loins  of  the  whole  world  out- 
side of  it. 

The  third  factor  in  the  problem  is  the  power 
of  the  Spirit  of  God.     This  is  the  great  dynamic. 


14        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

I  do  not  undertake  to  explain  the  supernatural 
influence  that  came  down  upon  the  disciples  at 
Pentecost  or  the  spiritual  gifts  that  followed  it. 
In  my  boyhood  I  met  Professor  Morse,  the  in- 
ventor of  the  telegraph,  on  a  Hudson  River  boat 
and  asked  him  to  explain  electricity.  He  said, 
"I  know  nothing  about  electricity;  I  am  only 
trying  to  make  some  applications  of  it. "  A  few 
years  ago  I  asked  the  same  question  of  Mr.  Mar- 
coni, of  wireless  telegraphy  fame.  He  smiled 
and  answered,  ' '  I  know  nothing  about  electricity 
in  itself ;  I  only  know  it  is  a  tremendous  fact  and 
I  am  interested  in  making  some  practical  appli- 
cations of  it. ' '  To  say  that  we  cannot  define  or 
definitely  explain  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
to  cast  no  reflection  on  an  obvious  fact  which  is 
constantly  in  evidence.  The  record  is  that  when 
Jesus  had  accomplished  his  redemptive  work  he 
went  back  to  the  "glory  which  he  had  with  the 
Father  before  the  world  was"";  and  that  at  his 
departure  he  said,  "The  Holy  Spirit,  whom  the 
Father  will  send  in  my  name,  he  shall  abide  with 
you  forever.  By  him  ye  shall  be  endued  with 
power.  He  shall  reprove  the  world  of  sin  and 
righteousness  and  of  judgment.  He  shall  glorify 
me. "     So  to  the  Holy  Spirit  was  committed  the 


A   NOTABLE   MIRACLE  15 

consummation  of  the  redemptive  work.  He  is 
and  continues  to  be  the  Executive  of  the  divine 
administration  in  this  world  of  ours;  and  will  so 
remain  until  "the  restitution  of  all  things." 

THE    SOLUTION 

By  the  operation  of  these  three  factors  the 
great  problem  is  being  solved.  Progress  is  a 
fact.  The  world  rolls  around  every  twenty-four 
hours,  and  with  each  succeeding  day  it  rolls  a 
little  farther  into  the  light.  The  problem  is 
being  worked  out  in  Christian  civilization.  This 
means  that  the  lapsed  masses  are  being  reclaimed, 
that  the  "submerged  tenth"  is  being  rescued, 
that  those  at  the  bottom  are  being  brought  to  the 
top.  Sin  is  the  root  of  all  the  ills  that  human 
flesh  is  heir  to.  The  remedy  for  sin  is  salvation, 
and  salvation  is  only  through  Christ.  The  final 
regeneration  of  society  will  be  accomplished  when 
the  gospel  is  proclaimed  universally  and  accepted 
by  the  last  man.  In  that  day  there  will  be  no 
more  cripples  begging  at  the  gate ;  all  who  now 
cumber  the  ground  as  non-producers  will  be  lifted 
up  to  self-respect,  becoming  contributors  to  the 
public  welfare  and  thus  repossessed  of  their  lost 
heritage  as  children  of  God.      What  else  can  ac- 


16        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

complish  this  but  the  gospel  ?  Can  secular  phi- 
lanthropy do  it  ?  Can  it  be  brought  about  by 
the  mere  giving  of  alms  or  feeding  of  the  hungry 
or  clothing  of  the  naked  ?  The  gospel  does  not 
deal  with  symptoms  but  aims  directly  at  the  seat 
of  the  malady.      To  cure  sin  is  to  cure  all. 

But  before  this  end  is  reached  there  are  two 
things  which  must  be  attended  to.  The  first  is 
Communication.  "To  do  good  and  to  communi- 
cate forget  not."  What  is  to  be  communicated? 
Material  help  and  comfort,  such  as  the  healing 
of  physical  pain  or  the  distribution  of  wealth? 
These  are  incidents  along  the  way.  It  is  much 
to  be  feared  that  we  are  laying  too  deep  an  em- 
phasis on  the  importance  of  monetary  gifts  as  a 
means  of  extending  the  Kingdom  of  Christ.  The 
Church  is  rich  to-day.  But  while  God  requires 
that  every  man  of  means  shall  honor  his  steward- 
ship, let  it  be  remembered  that  God  is  not  depend- 
ent on  our  gifts.  He  uses  gold;  but  he  can 
get  along  without  it. 

At  Rome,  twelve  hundred  years  after  the  heal- 
ing of  this  cripple,  two  men  not  unlike  Peter  and 
John  were  on  their  way  to  worship  at  St.  Peter's. 
One  of  them  was  Pope  Innocent  IV  and  the  other 
was  Thomas  Aquinas.     As  they  approached  they 


A   NOTABLE   MIRACLE  17 

saw  a  beggar  before  the  gate,  to  whom  Aquinas 
gave  a  gold  coin ;  whereat  the  Pope  smiled,  say- 
ing. "Things  have  greatly  changed  since  the 
apostles  were  obliged  to  say  on  a  like  occasion, 
'Silver  and  gold  have  we  none.'  ""  Aquinas  re- 
plied, "Yes,  your  Holiness,  things  have  indeed 
greatly  changed ;  for  I  fear  we  could  not  say,  as 
Peter  and  John  did,  '  In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Nazareth  rise  up  and  walk. '  ' ' 

The  wealth  of  the  Christian  Church  to-day  is 
a  matter  of  congratulation  only  so  far  as  it  is 
wisely  and  prayerfully  invested  for  the  advance- 
ment of  the  Kingdom.  At  best  it  is  only  a 
means  to  that  end.  Our  time  and  energy  and 
earthly  possessions  are  all  to  be  "communi- 
cated, "  as  we  ourselves  are  devoted,  to  the  salva- 
tion of  men. 

The  other  prerequisite  to  the  regeneration  of 
society  is  Appropriation.  When  the  Church  com- 
municates and  the  world  appropriates  there  will 
be  nothing  further  to  be  done.  We  call  atten- 
tion to  the  proclamation  of  the  gospel  as  Peter 
and  John  did  when  they  said  to  the  cripple, 
"Look  on  us !"  The  heart  must  then  follow  the 
eyes.  Men  must  think  before  they  can  believe ; 
and  hearing  must  be  followed  by  saving  faith. 


18        AT  THE   GATE    BEAUTIFUL 

Water  is  free;  and  there  is  enough  in  God's 
rivers  for  the  salvation  of  all;  but  a  man  will 
perish  of  thirst  unless  he  drink  it. 

It  was  a  memorable  day  for  the  cripple  when 
he  heard  the  call  and  heeded  it.  He  never  for- 
got the  Gate  which  is  called  Beautiful.  But  he 
never  again  sat  there  to  ask  for  alms ;  for  he  was 
loosed  from  his  infirmity  and  able  to  do  for  him- 
self as  a  whole  man. 

THE   OUTCOME 

It  will  be  a  great  day  for  the  Church  when  it 
goes  forth  like  a  mobilized  army,  in  the  power  of 
the  Name,  to  seek  and  to  save.  And  it  will  be  a 
great  day  for  the  world  when  sinners  shall  hear 
the  Name,  shall  see  its  power  in  the  life  of  those 
who  profess  and  preach  it,  and  shall  answer  to 
the  word  "Rise  up  and  walk!"  There  will  be 
no  cripples  then  and  no  beggar  at  any  gate ;  but 
all  alike  shall  go  up  the  Temple  stairs  "walking 
and  leaping  and  praising  God. '  * 


AN    ELOQUENT   SERMON 

THE  words,  "In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Nazareth,  walk!"  had  been  like  the  wa- 
ving of  a  magic  wand;  for  immediately  the 
beggar,  helpless  from  his  birth,  arose  and  went 
walking  and  leaping  and  praising  God ! 

Here  was  something  that  needed  to  be  ac- 
counted for.  The  people,  "being  filled  with 
wonder  and  amazement,  ran  together  to  Solomon's 
Porch"  ;  just  as  the  people  go  to  church  nowa- 
days, to  find  out.  They  want  to  know  about  all 
things  pertaining  to  the  spiritual  life ;  but  the 
one  thing  that  puzzles  them  above  everything  else 
is  the  presence  of  a  Power  in  the  world  which 
declines  to  be  explained  in  any  common  way. 

As  to  the  presence  of  the  Power  there  is  no 
doubt.  Every  saved  sinner,  every  healthful 
community,  every  Christian  government,  all 
progress  and  civilization  are  in  evidence.  To 
deny  it  is  to  contradict  the  hearing  of  one's  ears 
and  the  seeing  of  one's  eyes.  The  world  grows 
19 


20        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

better;  what  is  doing  it?  The  people  want  an 
answer  to  that  question ;  that  is  why  they  heed 
the  summons  of  the  church-bells ;  and  the  sermon 
that  furnishes  no  answer  is  no  sermon  at  all. 

THE    TEXT 

The  text  of  Peter's  sermon  on  this  occasion 
was  the  cripple  himself.  There  he  stood,  a  won- 
derful verse  of  holiest  Scripture,  a  living  epistle 
written  by  the  hand  of  God.  Look  at  him  !  He 
that  was  a  cripple  stands  erect  like  other  men. 
He  cannot  keep  quiet,  but  leaps  for  joy.  He 
cannot  keep  silent,  but  insists  on  praising  God. 
He  is  changed  in  soul  as  well  as  in  body.  Old 
things  are  passed  away,  all  things  have  become 
new.  This  is  conversion.  His  shame  and  beg- 
gary have  dropped  from  him ;  the  hopelessness 
has  gone  out  of  him.  Is  it  strange  that  the  peo- 
ple who  had  known  him  in  his  abject  helplessness 
could  scarcely  believe  their  senses  when  they 
heard  him  crying,  "Glory  to  God!"  This  is 
the  text  that  must  needs  be  expounded.  It  is  the 
ubiquitous  and  perpetual  text ;  for  the  miracle  is 
going  on  everywhere  about  us.  Not  only  are 
sinners  converted,  but  neighborhoods  are  trans- 
formed, by  the  mysterious  Power.      Go  to  mid- 


AN   ELOQUENT  SERMON  21 

Africa  and  build  a  church  in  the  midst  of  densest 
barbarism,  and  savage  eyes  and  hearts  will  fol- 
low its  upward-pointing  spire.  Give  the  Power 
time,  and,  like  leaven,  it  will  leaven  the  lump. 
How  to  explain  it?  That  is  the  problem  to 
which  Peter  must  address  himself  in  Solomon's 
Porch;  and  which  every  preacher,  "answering 
unto  the  people,"  is  bound  to  solve  in  some  way. 

THE    PROPOSITION 

The  proposition  of  Peter's  sermon  contains  his 
answer :  it  is  expressed  in  the  words,  ' '  God  hath 
glorified  his  Servant  Jesus. ' ' 

The  people  who  made  up  the  congregation 
that  day  had  seen  Jesus  in  homespun.  He  wore 
no  halo  and  displayed  no  tokens  of  sovereignty 
when  he  walked  among  them  ;  wherefore  he  had 
seemed  to  them  as  a  root  out  of  dry  ground, 
without  form  or  comeliness;  and  there  was  no 
beauty  that  they  should  desire  him.  They  had 
seen  him  going  about  on  his  itineraries,  dusty 
and  footsore  like  other  wayfaring  men.  They 
had  followed  him  to  Golgotha,  as  a  malefactor, 
bowing  under  the  burden  of  his  cross,  and  had 
seen  him  hung  up  betwixt  heaven  and  earth  to 
die ;   and  they  hid,  as  it  were,  their  faces  from 


22        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

him.  And  it  is  of  this  Jesus  that  Peter  now 
says,  "God  hath  glorified  him." 

This  is  his  explanation  of  the  Power:  "The 
name  of  Jesus,  through  faith  in  his  name,  hath 
given  the  cripple  this  perfect  soundness  in  the 
presence  of  you  all.""  If  that  proposition  can 
be  sustained,  it  furnishes  a  clue  to  the  dynamic 
problem  of  the  ages. 

We  find  an  amplification  of  this  proposition 
in  Paul's  letter  to  the  Christians  of  Philippi 
where  he  says  of  Jesus,  "Who,  existing  in  the 
form  of  God,  counted  not  the  being  on  an  equal- 
ity with  God  a  thing  to  be  grasped,  but  emptied 
himself,  taking  the  form  of  a  servant,  being 
made  in  the  likeness  of  men ;  and  being  found 
in  fashion  as  a  man,  he  humbled  himself,  becom- 
ing obedient  even  unto  death,  yea,  the  death  of 
the  cross.  Wherefore  also  God  highly  exalted 
him  and  gave  unto  him  the  Name  which  is  above 
every  name,  that  in  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee 
should  bow,  of  things  in  heaven  and  things  on 
earth  and  things  under  the  earth,  and  that  every 
tongue  should  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord, 
to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father."  In  other 
words,  the  eternal  Son,  who  had  been  in  the 
bosom  of  the  Father  before  the  world  was,  came 


AN   ELOQUENT  SERMON  23 

to  our  rescue  in  the  fulness  of  time ;  and,  having 
accomplished  his  work  of  redemption  and  re- 
tvu-ned  to  the  glory  which  he  had  with  the  Father 
before  the  world  was,  left  behind  him  a  Name, 
an  influence,  an  irresistible  Power  which  was  des- 
tined ultimately  to  accomplish  the  eternal  pur- 
pose in  restoring  the  world  to  God. 

If  the  proposition  thus  laid  down,  to  wit :  that 
" God  hath  glorified  his  Servant  Jesus,"  can  be 
sustained  it  will,  I  repeat,  furnish  a  key  to  the 
problem  of  history  and  an  explanation  of  the  up- 
lifting and  transforming  Power  which  is  mysteri- 
ously seen  and  felt  everywhere  in  the  world 
to-day. 

THE    ARGUMENT 

The  argument  of  the  sermon  is  under  two 
heads,  namely :  the  Messianic  prophecies  of  Scrip- 
ture, and  their  fulfilment  in  Jesus  as  the  Christ 
of  God. 

We  have  only  a  brief  outline  of  the  sermon ; 
but  there  is  enough  to  indicate  the  line  of  rea- 
soning by  which  Peter  endeavored  to  prove  that 
God  had  fulfilled  in  Christ  those  things  which  he 
had  foreshowed  by  the  mouth  of  all  the  prophets 
concerning  him. 

It  was  comparatively  an  easy  matter  for  him 


M        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

to  do  this,  because  his  congregation  was  familiar 
with  the  Scriptures  and  believed  in  them  as  the 
veritable  Word  of  God.  If  he  referred  to  the 
protevangel,  "The  Seed  of  woman  shall  bruise 
the  serpent's  head,"  all  would  instantly  recog- 
nize it.  But  who  was  that  "Seed  of  woman" 
who  was  to  come  in  the  fulness  of  time  to  deliver 
the  people  from  their  sins.-*  The  preacher  no 
doubt  pointed  out  the  figure  of  Christ  marching 
through  the  colonnades  of  ancient  Psalm  and 
prophecy  and  chronicle,  faint  at  first  but  advanc- 
ing into  ever  clearer  light,  a  child,  a  God,  a 
burden-bearer,  a  king,  a  man  of  sorrows  and  ac- 
quainted with  grief,  wounded  for  our  transgres- 
sions and  bruised  for  our  iniquities,  a  conqueror 
on  his  way  to  universal  dominion,  a  sufferer  with 
wounds  in  his  hands,  a  man  of  war,  the  Prince 
of  Peace,  a  light-giver  as  when  the  Sun  of  right- 
eousness ariseth  with  healing  in  his  wings.  Who 
is  this?  None  other,  says  the  preacher,  than 
Jesus  of  Nazareth !  And  this  he  proceeds  to 
prove  after  the  method  common  to  all  ministers 
of  the  gospel  in  those  days. 

It  was  like  tracing  a  river  to  its  source.  Time 
was  when  the  springs  of  the  Nile  were  lost  in 
mystery.      Then  came  Stanley,  the  explorer,  who 


AN   ELOQUENT  SERMON  25 

followed  it  from  the  Delta  up  through  Nubia 
and  the  Sudan,  onward  through  deserts  and 
malarial  swamps  and  jungles,  till  after  a  journey 
of  four  thousand  miles  he  came  upon  Victoria 
Nyanza.  He  had  found  the  fountain  of  the  Nile ! 
So  did  Peter  and  the  other  apostles,  when  preach- 
ing to  Jewish  congregations,  lead  them  always 
through  the  mysterious  and  otherwise  inexplica- 
ble windings  of  their  own  prophetic  Scriptures 
until  they  found  themselves  face  to  face  with 
Christ.  The  source  of  the  river  of  prophecy,  on 
its  way  to  the  infinite  sea  of  eternal  life,  was 
found  in  Christ,  in  the  bosom  of  God ! 

All  these  prophecies  are  shown  to  have  been 
fulfilled  in  him.  The  birth  of  Jesus,  his  life  and 
character  in  minutest  detail  and  particular,  his 
vicarious  death,  all  were  in  pursuance  of  the  plan 
marked  out.  "Thus  it  was  written  and  thus  it 
must  be. ' '  And  the  consummation  of  the  argu- 
ment was  reached  in  Christ's  triumph  over  death. 
"God  hath  raised  him  from  the  dead,''  cried  the 
preacher,  "whereof  we  are  witnesses!"  He,  in 
company  with  John,  who  now  stood  beside  him 
in  Solomon's  Porch,  had  run  to  the  sepulcher. 
spurred  on  by  a  strange  rumor ;  and  there  they 
saw  the  empty  tomb,  and  that  evening  the  risen 


26        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

Christ  himself!  They  were  eye-witnesses.  He 
had  appeared  to  others  also :  five  hundred  had 
seen  him  at  once ;  five  hundred  in  court  prepared 
to  testify  to  that  effect !  Refute  them  who  can ! 
What  then  ?  He  that  was  dead  is  alive  and 
liveth  forevermore!  Yes,  verily,  "God  hath 
glorified  his  Servant  Jesus!" 

A  few  days  previously  the  people  had  seen  the 
miracle  of  Pentecost  and  "were  all  amazed  and 
were  perplexed,  saying  one  to  another,  What 
meaneth  this?"  Peter  tells  them  that  the 
"sound  as  of  the  rushing  of  a  mighty  wind""  was 
the  breath  of  this  glorified  Son  of  God !  An 
hour  ago  they  were  "filled  with  wonder  and 
amazement"  at  the  miracle  wrought  on  the  crip- 
ple at  the  gate;  and  again  they  asked,  "What 
meaneth  this  ?"  Peter  tells  them  it  was  the  hand 
of  the  Christ  whom  they  had  crucified.  If  this 
man  were  preaching  to-day  I  doubt  not  he  would 
say,  "Why  marvel  ye  at  the  miracles  of  progress, 
at  the  tokens  of  a  supernatural  Power  in  the 
great  movements  of  history  that  make  for  truth 
and  righteousness  ?  These  are  but  the  footfalls 
of  Jesus  coming  with  stately  steppings  down  the 
ages ! ' ' 

This  is  the  argument  of  the  sermon ;  the  "an- 


AN   ELOQUENT  SERMON  27 

swer  to  the  people."  Thus  simply  but  conclu- 
sively does  the  apostle  prove  his  proposition, 
' '  God  hath  glorified  his  Servant  Jesus. ' ' 

THE    APPLICATION 

The  application  of  the  sermon  is  in  the  words, 
' '  Repent  ye  therefore  and  turn  again,  that  your 
sins  may  be  blotted  out!" 

The  need  of  repentance  is  obvious  from  the 
terrific  indictment  which  the  preacher  brought 
against  his  hearers  that  day :  "Ye  delivered  Jesus 
up  and  denied  him  before  the  face  of  Pilate, 
when  he  had  determined  to  let  him  go !  Ye  de- 
nied the  holy  and  righteous  One,  and  asked  for 
a  murderer  to  be  granted  unto  you  !  Ye  killed 
the  Prince  of  Life!"  In  spite  of  all  remon- 
strance they  had  cried,  "His  blood  be  upon  us 
and  upon  our  children  after  us!"  Their  hands 
were  red,  dripping  red,  with  the  blood  of  One 
whom  God  had  dignified  as  his  only  begotten 
Son! 

Brave  preaching  this,  and  worthy  of  careful 
scrutiny  on  the  part  of  preachers  in  these  days ! 

Sin  itself  has  of  late  been  minimized  almost  to 
the  vanishing  point,  so  that  no  room  is  left  for 
repentance.      In  some  quarters  the  very  word  is 


28        AT  THE   GATE    BEAUTIFUL 

lost.  ' '  New  times ;  new  manners, ' '  indeed !  Yet 
sin  is  a  fact,  an  unchanged  and  unchangeable 
fact.  It  stands  as  it  ever  stood,  ' '  black  as  night, 
fierce  as  ten  furies,  terrible  as  hell."  And  the 
sin  of  all  sins  is  the  rejection  of  Christ.  This 
is  the  unpardonable  sin,  in  the  necessity  of  the 
case ;  because  it  closes  the  only  door  that  has  ever 
been  opened  for  a  sinner  to  return  to  God.  Re- 
pent ye,  therefore;  ye  who,  despite  the  demon- 
strations of  Christ's  power  in  the  passing  ages, 
still  reject  him.  Repent,  while  it  is  called  to- 
day. "O  foolish  Galatians,  who  did  bewitch 
you  that  ye  should  not  obey  the  truth,  before 
whose  eyes  Jesus  Christ  was  openly  set  forth  cru- 
cified!"  Nay,  rather,  O  foolish  children  of  Chris- 
tian birth  and  nurture,  who  hath  bewitched  you 
that  ye  should  not  perceive  how  God  hath  glori- 
fied his  Son  ? 

Had  the  people  known  that  Jesus  was  the 
Christ,  it  goes  without  saying  that  they  would 
not  have  crucified  him.  It  was  by  reason  of 
their  ignorance  that  an  opportunity  of  repent- 
ance was  given  them.  As  Jesus  said,  "Father, 
forgive  them  ;  for  they  know  not  what  they  do," 
so  Peter  says.  "I  wot  that  through  ignorance  ye 
did  it."      In  this,  however,  he  finds  no  exculpa- 


AN   ELOQUENT  SERMON  29 

tion  of  their  sin,  but  only  an  assurance  of  par- 
don on  condition  of  repentance  and  faith.  ' '  Re- 
pent ye  therefore,''  is  his  word.  So  Paul,  in  his 
great  sermon  on  Mars  Hill,  said,  "The  times  of 
ignorance  therefore  God  overlooked;  but  now 
he  commandeth  men  that  they  should  all  every- 
where repent;  inasmuch  as  he  hath  appointed  a 
day  in  which  he  will  judge  the  world  in  right- 
eousness by  the  Man  whom  he  hath  ordained ; 
whereof  he  hath  given  assurance  unto  all  men,  in 
that  he  hath  raised  him  from  the  dead!''  The 
opportunity  for  repentance  comes  when  one  dis- 
covers that  the  Christ  whom  he  has  rejected  is 
shown  to  be  the  veritable  Son  of  God.  As  he 
cares  for  eternal  life,  let  him  improve  it. 

Conversion  is  the  corollary  of  repentance.  To 
be  converted  is  to  turn  ' '  right  about,  face. ' '  It 
is  to  change  one's  mind,  one's  purpose,  one's  at- 
titude toward  Christ.  In  short,  it  is  to  believe 
in  him. 

He  who  thus  repents  and  is  converted  has 
his  sins  ' '  blotted  out. ' '  Oh,  gracious  words ! 
Blotted  out!  Let  us  get  the  figure  before  us. 
An  Oriental  merchant  in  those  days  kept  his  ac- 
counts by  making  indentations  on  a  wax  tablet. 
In  order  to  cancel  a  debt  he  had  but  to  draw  an 


30        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

inverted  stylus  over  the  wax.  To  cancel  an  ac- 
count in  a  ledger  leaves  a  trace  behind ;  but  to 
blot  out  an  account  on  a  wax  tablet  was  to  leave 
no  trace  on  the  wax.  The  record  was  a  blank, 
tabula  rasa,  as  if  it  had  never  been.  So  are  the 
sins  of  the  penitent  blotted  out  the  moment  he 
believes  in  the  crucified  and  glorified  Son  of  God. 
They  are  gone !  They  are  forgotten :  as  it  is 
written,  "I  will  forgive  their  iniquity  and  their 
sin  will  I  remember  no  more." 

It  is  an  old  sermon  that  we  have  been  study- 
ing ;  nevertheless  it  is  quite  up  to  date.  For  sin 
and  repentance,  faith  and  salvation,  are  constant 
factors  in  the  problem  of  life. 

God  help  us,  whether  we  are  ''in  holy  orders" 
or  not,  to  preach  as  the  apostles  preached  in  those 
days !  Let  us  preach  Christ  and  the  Bible ;  nay, 
rather,  the  Christ  of  the  Bible,  for  neither  is 
there  "any  other  name  under  heaven  that  is  given 
among  men  wherein  we  must  be  saved. ' '  God 
help  us  to  set  forth  sin  unto  repentance,  and 
faith  unto  conversion ;  ' '  then  shall  the  lame  man 
leap  as  a  hart,  and  the  tongue  of  the  dumb  shall 
sing;  for  in  the  wilderness  shall  waters  break  out 
and  streams  in  the  desert, ' '  because  sinners  every- 
where shall  see  how  God  hath  glorified  his  Son. 


AN   ELOQUENT  SERMON  31 

m  Rome  they  say  that  Christ  gave  Peter  the 
power  of  the  keys.  His  statue  may  be  seen  in 
the  churches  and  on  the  street  corners,  always 
with  the  keys  at  his  girdle.  It  is  true ;  Christ 
did  give  Peter  the  keys,  and  with  them  the  power 
of  absolution ;  but  no  more  than  to  me  and  to  all 
preachers  and  to  every  true  follower  of  his.  In 
his  name  we  are  commissioned  to  turn  the  key  in 
the  door  of  heaven  and  throw  it  wide  open  to 
every  sinner  who  will  believe  in  Christ;  and  the 
humblest  of  Christians  has  power  to  say  to  the 
worst  of  sinners,  "In  his  name,  by  faith  in  his 
name,  you  shall  have  absolution  of  sin!''  For 
in  this  has  God  pre-eminently  glorified  his  Son, 
that  he,  the  Prince  of  Life,  "hath  authority  on 
earth  to  forgive  sins." 


AN   EXTRAORDINARY   TRIAL 

THE  record  says  that  Peter  and  John  "were 
going  up  into  the  Temple  at  the  hour  of 
prayer."  But  they  did  not  reach  the  Temple, 
and  the  prayer  had  to  be  postponed  for  a  while. 
To  begin  with,  they  met  the  cripple  sitting  at 
the  gate,  and  they  could  not  pass  him  by.  The 
call  of  humanity  was  stronger  than  the  blast  of 
the  ram's  horn  calling  to  worship.  Or  shall  we 
not  rather  say  that  the  act  of  humanity  was 
really  a  higher  form  of  worship  ? 

"He  prayeth  best  who  loveth  best 
All  things  both  great  and  small ; 
For  the  dear  Lord  who  loveth  us. 
He  made  and  loveth  all. ' ' 

The  purpose  of  the  two  disciples  was  further 

interrupted  by  the  gathering  of  the  people ;  an 

eager  throng  ' '  filled  with  wonder  and  amazement 

at  that  which  had  happened''  and  clamoring  for 

32 


AN   EXTRAORDINARY   TRIAL       33 

an  explanation.  To  pass  them  under  such  cir- 
cumstances was  as  impossible  as  it  had  been  to 
pass  the  cripple ;  for  here  was  an  opportunity  to 
preach  the  gospel ;  and  what  true  disciple  could 
resist  that  ?  So  Peter  spoke  to  them  of  the  power 
of  the  Name.  From  the  prudential  standpoint 
this  was  a  great  mistake.  He  should  have  known 
that  his  preaching  was  an  infringement  on  the 
rights  of  the  ordained  ministry.  He  and  his 
companion  were  arrested  accordingly,  and  thrown 
into  jail.  It  must  have  been  a  dreary  night.  I 
imagine  that,  after  a  while,  John  asked  Peter  if 
he  was  still  awake. 

"Yes,"  answered  Peter,  "but  it's  cold  and  my 
chain  is  heavy.  Nevertheless,  I  am  sure  the  Lord 
is  with  us. ' ' 

"And  what  of  to-morrow?  Will  they  convict 
us,  think  you,  and  possibly  stone  us?" 

' '  I  know  not ;  but  I  have  no  fear.  I  have  been 
thinking  of  the  Babylonish  youths  in  the  fiery 
furnace,  and  how  One  walked  with  them  like 
unto  the  Son  of  God.  The  Lord  is  surely  with 
us." 

' '  I,  too,  am  confident, ' '  said  John ;  ' '  where- 
fore let  us  sing."  And  possibly  they  sang, 
"God  is  our  refuge  and  strength,  a  very  present 


34        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

help  in  trouble.  Therefore  will  we  not  fear, 
though  the  earth  do  change  and  though  the 
mountains  be  shaken  into  the  heart  of  the  seas. 
Jehovah  of  Hosts  is  with  us,  the  God  of  Jacob  is 
our  refuge ! ' ' 

In  the  morning  they  were  brought  into  the 
hall  Gazith  for  trial.  The  Sanhedrin  was  as- 
sembled. It  was  an  august  court.  There  were 
the  aged  Annas  who  had  been  deposed  from  the 
priestly  office,  and  Caiaphas,  his  fanatical  son- 
in-law  and  successor,  and  Alexander,  with  other 
illustrious  leaders  of  the  Jews. 

THE    CHARGE 

The  charge  brought  against  the  prisoners  was 
a  singular  one.  They  were  accused  of  pernicious 
loquacity-  They  would  not  keep  still!  The 
rabbis  felt  that  Jesus  had  troubled  them  enough 
in  his  lifetime  and,  now  that  they  had  accom- 
plished his  death,  it  was  inexpressibly  annoying 
to  have  his  disciples  keep  on  talking  about  him. 
Of  course  they  could  not  be  allowed  to  perpetu- 
ate his  influence  in  that  way.  So  they  said, 
in  substance,  to  these  disciples,  "If  you  will 
agree  to  hold  your  peace  nobody  will  trouble 
you." 


AN    EXTRAORDINARY   TRIAL       35 


THE    DEFENSE 

The  defense  was  as  singular  as  the  charge. 
It  was  that  they  could  not  keep  still.  And  for 
this  they  were  able  to  give  a  number  of  good  and 
sufficient  reasons. 

First,  they  could  not  consent  to  keep  quiet  be- 
cause they  didn't  have  to.  They  knew  they  were 
well  within  their  rights  under  the  Roman  law,  in 
which  provision  was  made  for  the  free  exercise  of 
religion.  So  long  as  they  created  no  disturbance 
they  were  at  liberty  to  preach  the  gospel  even  to 
the  Jews. 

Second,  they  could  not  keep  quiet  because 
they  were  under  orders  not  to.  They  had  re- 
ceived an  express  commission  from  their  Master 
to  declare  his  name.  His  word  was  "Go,  evan- 
gelize!" That  is:  "Preach  the  gospel,  even  to 
the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth."  This  was 
their  business  and  they  must  follow  it. 

Third,  they  could  not  keep  silence  because 
they  did  not  want  to.  The  gospel  which  they 
were  required  to  preach  was  a  panacea  for  sin 
and  all  evils  attending  upon  it.  The  people 
needed  that  gospel,  and  in  the  name  of  common 
humanity  they  must  dispense  it. 


36        AT   THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

And  fourth,  they  could  not  keep  quiet  because 
they  wouldn't,  and  they  frankly  said  so.  They 
were  warned  "not  to  speak  at  all,  nor  teach 
in  the  name  of  Jesus."  Their  answer  was, 
"Whether  it  is  right  in  the  sight  of  God  to 
hearken  unto  you  rather  than  unto  God,  judge 
ye ;  for  we  cannot  but  speak  the  things  which  we 
saw  and  heard. ' '  There  is  the  ring  of  manhood. 
It  sounds  like  Luther  when  admonished  not  to 
appear  at  the  Diet  of  Worms ;  his  answer  was, 
"Were  there  as  many  devils  in  the  way  as  there 
are  tiles  on  the  housetops,  yet  would  I  go!" 
And  later,  on  trial  in  the  Diet,  he  uttered  that 
other  manifesto  which  has  come  ringing  down 
through  the  ages,  ' '  Here  I  stand ;  I  cannot  other- 
wise; God  help  me!" 

This  was  the  defense  set  up  by  the  prisoners 
at  the  bar ;  but  there  was  another  or  secondary 
line  of  defense,  which  operated  mightily  in 
their  favor.  This  did  not  express  itself  in 
words,  but  in  the  personal  life  and  character 
of  these  men. 

THE    EFFECT   TTPON   THE   COURT 

It  is  recorded  that  when  the  members  of  the 
Court  "beheld  the  boldness  of  Peter  and  John, 


AN   EXTRAORDINARY  TRIAL       37 

and  had  perceived  that  they  were  unlearned  and 
ignorant  men,  they  marveled;  and  they  took 
knowledge  of  them,  that  they  had  been  with 
Jesus, ' ' 

How  did  they  know  that  these  men  had  been 
with  Jesus  ?  By  the  fact  that  they  had  learned 
of  him.  He  had  called  them  from  their  fishing- 
boats  at  Gennesaret,  when  they  were  indeed 
"unlearned  and  ignorant  men,"  and  for  three 
years — the  precise  term  of  a  theological  course  in 
modern  times — they  had  been  at  school  with  him. 
Then  they  were  graduated  with  the  degree  of 
"Master  of  Arts." 

Of  him  they  had  learned  the  Ars  Medicatrix, 
that  is,  the  healing  touch.  He  had  taught  them 
how  to  open  blind  eyes,  cleanse  lepers,  cure  crip- 
ples, and  do  many  other  wonderful  works.  It 
was  proper  that  such  gifts  should  be  conferred 
upon  the  disciples  in  the  infancy  of  the  Church. 
They  would  not  be  necessary  when  the  Church 
should  once  be  upon  its  feet;  wherefore  we  can- 
not exercise  them.  But  if  we  have  lost  the 
power  to  heal,  we  can  still  perform  the  most 
wonderful  miracle  of  all.  It  is  written,  "He 
who  converteth  a  sinner  from  the  error  of  his  way 
shall  save  a  soul  from  death  and  shall  cover  a 


38        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

multitude  of  sins/'  The  curing  of  a  physical 
malady  is  nothing  in  comparison  with  the  bring- 
ing of  an  immortal  soul  out  of  darkness  into 
light ;  for  the  issues  of  this  miracle  reach  on  into 
the  eternal  ages.  In  fact,  the  healing  works  of 
Jesus  himself  were  of  evidential  value  only  so 
far  as  they  pointed  to  the  greater  miracle,  by 
showing  that  he  "had  power  on  earth  to  forgive 
sins." 

Of  him  they  had  learned  also  the  Ars  Homi- 
letica ;  that  is,  how  to  preach.  In  their  fishing 
days  they  had  known  nothing  about  preaching ; 
but  now,  after  three  years  of  theological  training 
with  him,  they  were  able  to  utter  "thoughts  that 
breathe  and  words  that  burn.''  Their  sermons 
were  like  an  echo  of  the  voice  of  their  Master,  of 
whom  it  was  said,  "Never  man  so  spake!"  If 
there  were  no  perhapses  or  peradventures  in  their 
preaching,  it  was  because  they  had  caught  the 
note  of  positiveness  from  him  who  ever  spoke 
' '  as  one  having  authority. ' '  The  minister  who 
airs  his  doubts  in  the  pulpit  betrays  the  fact  that 
he  has  not  been  with  Jesus  or  learned  of  him. 
He  said  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you";  and 
his  disciples  are  commissioned  to  say,  "That 
which  we  have  seen  and  handled  declare  we  unto 


AN   EXTRAORDINARY  TRIAL       39 

you."  An  "if"  in  a  sermon  is  like  a  crack  in 
a  pitcher;  the  truth  leaks  through  it.  The 
"Autocrat  of  the  Breakfast  Table"  says:  "A 
probability  is  provided  with  buffers  at  both  ends 
to  break  the  shock  of  opposite  opinions  clash- 
ing against  it ;  but  a  certainty  has  no  springs. ' ' 
Truth  is  positive.  Duty  is  imperative.  The 
gospel  is  Yea  and  Amen.  Our  preaching  is  with 
a  ""Thus  saith  the  Lord,"  not  "I  think  so." 

And  they  had  also  learned  of  Christ  the  Ajs 
Militaris ;  that  is,  how  to  stand  unflinching  in 
the  face  of  foes.  These  men  were  unused  to  the 
customs  of  courts,  yet  they  were  unabashed  in 
the  Sanhedrin.  This  Peter  who  speaks  so  boldly 
now  was,  a  little  while  ago,  as  timid  as  a  hare. 
He  had  quivered  like  a  leaf  when  a  maidservant 
pointed  her  finger  at  him.  Behold  him  now ! 
Cannon  to  right  of  him,  cannon  to  left  of  him ; 
yet  he  stands  to  his  colors  like  the  men  at 
Balaklava.  He  is  under  orders.  "Whether  it 
is  right  or  not,  judge  ye!"  To  his  mind  the 
only  question  is  not  whether  it  is  prudent,  but 
whether  it  is  right.  His  master  bade  him  stand 
on  the  thin  red  line,  and  there  he  stands.  This 
he  had  learned  of  Jesus ;  the  Hero  of  all  heroes, 
who  seeing  the  cross  in  the  distance  swerved  not 


40        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

a  hair's  breadth,  but  "set  his  face  steadfastly  to 
go. "  By  him  the  disciples  had  been  forewarned 
that  they  should  be  "brought  before  kings  and 
governors  for  my  name's  sake.  It  shall  turn  out 
unto  you  for  a  testimony ;  for  I  will  give  you  a 
mouth  and  wisdom,  which  all  your  adversaries 
shall  not  be  able  to  withstand  or  to  gainsay." 
Behold  how  that  promise  was  fulfilled  this  day ! 

And  of  Jesus  they  had  learned  the  Ars  Sacra ; 
that  is,  character,  which  is  indeed  the  most  sacred 
of  arts.  Let  it  be  observed  how  Peter,  the  most 
headstrong  and  undependable  of  the  apostles,  had 
learned  at  length  how  to  quit  himself  like  a  man 
— Peter  the  swearer,  the  blunderer,  the  denier  of 
his  Lord !  If  we  follow  him  through  the  years 
we  shall  find  him  growing  more  and  more  until 
he  becomes  by  pre-eminence  the  very  apostle  of 
character.  In  one  of  his  letters,  dated  thirty 
years  after  this  incident,  he  writes :  ' '  Adding  on 
your  part  all  diligence,  in  your  faith  supply  vir- 
tue, and  in  your  virtue  knowledge,  and  in  your 
knowledge  self-control,  and  in  your  self-control 
patience,  and  in  your  patience  godliness,  and  in 
your  godliness  brotherly  kindness,  and  in  your 
brotherly  kindness  love.  For  if  these  things  are 
yours  and  abound,  they  make  you  to  be  not  idle 


AN   EXTRAORDINARY   TRIAL       41 

nor  unfruitful  unto  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ."  In  those  words  we  have  the 
finest  monograph  of  symmetrical  manhood.  And 
therein  is  the  ultimate  and  unanswerable  defense 
of  the  gospel  against  all  charges  brought  against 
it.  The  time  will  probably  never  come  when 
the  adversaries  of  Christ  will  have  nothing  to  say 
against  him ;  but  there  is  one  incontrovertible 
reply ;  namely,  his  own  character  as  reflected  in 
the  character  of  those  who  follow  him. 

This  was  the  great  rebuttal  in  the  Sanhedrin 
that  day.  Peter  and  John  were  what  they  were 
because  they  had  been  with  Jesus  and  had  learned 
of  him.  The  judge  who  presided  at  the  trial  of 
their  Master  had  said,  "Behold  the  man  !  I  find 
no  fault  in  him. "  And  the  purpose  of  these  dis- 
ciples was  to  be  like  him.  True,  they  were  not 
saints  as  yet,  only  sinners  saved  by  grace ;  but 
they  were  on  their  way  to  sainthood.  They  did 
not  profess  to  be  good,  ''as  though  they  were 
already  perfect,"  but  only  to  be  trying  to  be 
good :  and  better  than  that  can  be  said  of  no 
man.  And  by  divine  grace  they  were  growing 
every  day,  "adding"  to  their  attainments  by  the 
imitation  of  the  perfect  Man.  They  "had  not 
attained,"  but  they  were  "stretching  forward  to 


42        AT  THE   GATE    BEAUTIFUL 

the  things  which  were  before"  and  "pressing  on 
toward  the  goal,'" 

This  is  what  makes  a  Christian ;  not  faultless- 
ness,  but  an  ever-increasing  hatred  of  sin  and 
love  of  holiness ;  a  constant  growing  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  Christ;  a  progressive  approach  toward 
the  ideal,  toward  Christlikeness,  which  means  the 
regaining  of  a  man's  lost  birthright. 

To  this,  I  say,  there  is  no  answer.  In  one  of 
the  letters  of  Daniel  Webster  he  writes:  "I  can 
speak  and  argue  against  a  theological  proposi- 
tion ;  but  there  is  one  thing  I  cannot  gainsay :  I 
have  an  old  uncle  up  in  New  Hampshire,  a  plain 
farmer,  who  professes  to  be  a  follower  of  Christ. 
I  go  to  visit  him  occasionally  and  note  the  man- 
ner of  his  daily  life.  I  see  him  at  the  family 
altar  with  his  children  about  him.  And  against 
that  argument  in  favor  of  Christianity  I  can  find 
nothing  to  say."  This  is  the  perpetual  and 
irrefutable  reply  to  all  that  has  ever  been  or  can 
be  urged  against  the  gospel  of  Christ.  It  makes 
character.      It  makes  men ! 

THE    VERDICT 

The  verdict  found  by  the  Sanhedrin  in  this 
trial  was  as  singular  as  the  charge  and  the  de- 


AN   EXTRAORDINARY   TRIAL       43 

fense.  The  prisoners  were  adjudged  guilty  and 
then  "let  go/'  No  penalty  could  be  prescribed 
under  the  law. 

There  they  go.  Whither.?  Peter,  "the  Rock 
Man,"  goes  to  a  life  of  unceasing  toil  and  priva- 
tion in  preaching  the  gospel  to  the  Jews.  John, 
"the  Boanerge,"  goes  to  his  pastorate  in  Ephe- 
sus,  and  thence  to  his  exile  in  Patmos.  Both  are 
destined  to  share  the  sufferings  of  their  Master, 
even  to  the  tragic  end. 

THE    LESSON 

Is  there  anything  here  for  us  ?  Yes ;  he  that 
would  he  like  Jesus  must  keep  company  zvith  him. 
Christian  character  is  the  fruit  of  communion 
with  Christ.  In  one  of  Goethe's  "Wonder 
Tales"  he  tells  of  a  magical  lamp  in  a  fisher- 
man's hut.  At  night  the  fisherman,  returning 
from  his  labors,  felt  his  way  through  the  dark- 
ness of  his  home  until  the  lamp  was  kindled ;  and 
then,  in  an  instant,  the  humble  place  was  trans- 
formed into  a  temple  of  silver  studded  with 
priceless  gems !  It  reads  like  a  parable  of  the 
Christian  life:  a  poor  stumbling  life  at  best,  but 
in  the  light  of  Christ's  countenance  it  assumes  the 
graces  of  his  character,  until,  out  of  our  moral 


44        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

homeliness,  we  grow  to  be  like  him.  And  this  is 
what  makes  life  worth  living ;  this  is  what  makes 
heaven  worth  having.  "We  all,  with  unveiled 
face  beholding  as  in  a  mirror  the  glory  of  the 
Lord,  are  transformed  into  the  same  image  from 
glory  to  glory,  even  as  from  the  Lord  the  Spirit. ' ' 
We  shall  close  our  eyes  presently,  and  when  we 
open  them  ' '  we  shall  be  like  him ;  for  we  shall 
see  him  even  as  he  is. ' ' 


AN   EVENTFUL    MEETING 

IT  is  related  that  Peter  and  John,  "being  let  go, 
came  to  their  own  company,  and  reported 
all."  Of  course  they  did.  Everybody  goes  to 
his  own  company.  Like  seeks  like.  This  is  in 
pursuance  of  a  universal  law.  All  things  crys- 
talize.  The  ultimate  particles  of  matter  are  pro- 
vided with  positive  and  negative  poles,  so  that 
those  which  are  mutually  attractive  gather  about 
a  common  center.  In  social  life  this  crystal  is 
called  a  community.  Birds  of  a  feather  flock 
together.  Judas  goes  "to  his  own  place,"  sooner 
or  later.  So  does  John,  and  everybody  else. 
Our  destination  is  bound  to  be  that  for  which 
our  character  fits  us.  Those  who  care  for  God 
and  the  great  verities  which  center  in  him  go  to 
heaven ;  while  those  who  care  for  none  of  these 
things  will  stay  outside,  by  preference  as  well  as 
by  moral  adjustment.  If  the  wicked  were  to  be 
transported  to  that  holy,  psalm-singing  place 
called  "the  New  Jerusalem,"  the  environment 
45 


46        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

would  be  so  miserably  uncongenial  that  they 
would  immediately  flee  from  it.  The  present  ar- 
rangement is  as  right  as  it  is  inevitable.  Men  go 
ultimately  not  only  where  they  are  fitted  to  go, 
but,  all  things  considered,  where  they  want  to  go. 

So  when  Peter  and  John  had  been  acquitted  in 
court  they  naturally  sought  their  own.  Where 
they  found  them  it  would  be  hard  to  say.  The 
little  band  of  Christians  had  previously  met  in 
an  upper  room ;  but  on  this  occasion  they  proba- 
bly required  a  larger  place.  The  Day  of  Pen- 
tecost was  just  past,  when  thousands  had  been 
converted.  The  Jerusalem  congregation  was  no 
longer  a  feeble  folk  like  the  conies.  Perhaps 
they  were  gathered  in  some  open  court  where 
they  had  remained  during  the  night,  overwhelmed 
with  fear  and  with  anxiety  for  their  two  leaders 
who  had  been  caught  red-handed  in  the  act  of 
preaching  the  gospel.  They  were  like  a  flock  of 
frightened  birds.  No  doubt  they  were  praying 
and  hoping  against  hope,  not  knowing  what  new 
trouble  awaited  them. 

Then  suddenly  all  was  changed.  There  was  a 
stir  at  the  doorway,  and  Peter  and  John  walked 
in !  What  greetings  then,  congratulations,  ques- 
tions thick  and  fast !     It  is  safe  to  say  that  John's 


AN   EVENTFUL   MEETING  47 

mother  was  present,  and  Peter's  wife — for,  mira- 
hile  dictu,  the  original  Pope  was  a  married  man ! 
All  alike  were  overjoyed.  Then  the  meeting 
was  called  to  order. 

It  may  not  be  unprofitable  for  us  to  attend  this 
primitive  service  in  the  apostolic  Church;  for 
this  was  the  nucleus  of  the  Church  of  the  ages. 
I  think  we  shall  find  that  the  Order  of  Service 
was  not  unlike  ours. 

THE    INVOCATION 

The  meeting  opened,  as  ours  do,  with  an  in- 
vocation: "O  Lord,  thou  that  didst  make  the 
heaven  and  the  earth  and  the  sea  and  all  that  in 
them  is!"  If  these  people  had  ever  doubted  that 
the  Lord  was  God,  they  knew  it  now ;  for  he  had 
made  bare  his  arm  to  help  them  when  they  were 
at  their  wits'  end.  And  now  they  wanted  to 
commune  with  him.  Their  hearts  were  full  of 
gratitude  and  they  must  tell  him  so. 

THE    SCmPTURE    LESSON 
The  next  thing  in  the  Order  of  Service  would 
naturally   have  been   the   reading  of   the    Scrip- 
tures ;  but  this  was  omitted,  for  reasons  easy  to  see. 
They  had  been  reading  the  Scriptures  all  night, 


48        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

searching  for  promises  of  help  in  time  of  need. 
The  Bible  was  never  slighted  by  the  Christians 
of  those  days.  They  believed  it,  loved  it,  and 
founded  their  life  upon  it.  But  just  now  they 
were  eager  above  measure  to  hear  from  Peter 
and  John.  The  Scripture  Lesson  would  come 
farther  on. 

THE   SERMON 

The  sermon  preached  at  this  point  in  the  serv- 
ice was  in  the  nature  of  a  Report ;  as  it  is  writ- 
ten, "They  reported  all  that  the  chief  priests  and 
the  elders  had  said   unto   them."    As   a   rule, 
Reports  are  dull.      Audiences  are  apt  to  be  list- 
less until  committees  are  through  with  what  they 
have  to  say.      But  this  is  not  always  the  case. 
In  a  recent  assembly  a  missionary  just  returned 
from   Korea  presented  a  "Report  of  Progress," 
telling  how  souls  had  been  coming  into  the  king- 
dom like  doves  flocking  to  their  windows;  and 
when  he  concluded  with  the  words,  "We  beg  you 
to  join  us  in  the  faith  of  a  glorious  outlook ;  for 
we  are  expecting  the  conversion  of  a  million  souls 
in  Korea  this   year,"  there    was   no  one  in  the 
great  audience  who  was  not  moved  to  the  very 
center  of  his  heart. 


AN   EVENTFUL   MEETING  49 

The  Report  of  Peter  had  to  do  with  events 
covering  a  period  of  only  fifteen  hours.  It  was 
three  o'clock  yesterday  afternoon  when  the  crip- 
ple was  healed  at  the  gate ;  then  came  the  sermon 
in  Solomon's  Porch,  then  the  arrest  and  the 
dreary  night  in  the  Castle  of  Antonia,  then 
the  trial  in  the  Sanhedrin.  He  reported  all: 
the  questions  and  cross-questions;  the  warning, 
' '  Speak  no  more  in  the  name  of  Jesus' ' ;  their 
answer,  "Whether  it  is  right  in  the  sight  of  God 
to  hearken  unto  you  rather  than  unto  God, 
judge  ye"  ;  the  perplexity  of  the  rabbis  because 
they  could  find  no  suitable  penalty  under  the 
law;  and  how  they  were  finally  obliged  to  let 
their  prisoners  go.  Then  I  think  Peter  said, 
' '  Let  us  praise  God ! '  ^ 

THE  HYMN 

It  was  an  old  hymn,  a  thousand  years  old ;  and 
all  the  better  for  that.  Everybody  likes  the  old 
hymns,  such  as  "All  hail  the  power  of  Jesus' 
name,"  and  "There  is  a  Fountain  filled  with 
blood,"  and  "My  faith  looks  up  to  thee,"  and 
"O  God,  our  help  in  ages  past."  What  sa- 
cred associations  gather  about  them  !  Who  can 
sing 


50        AT   THE   GATE    BEAUTIFUL 

"The  Lord's  my  Shepherd,  I'll  not  want; 
He  makes  me  down  to  lie 
In  pastures  green ;  he  leadeth  me 
The  quiet  waters  by," 

without  a  warm  remembrance  of  the  Covenanters 
who  sang  those  words  while  listening  for  the  foot- 
fall of  bloody  Claverhouse,  in  their  Conventicles 
among  the  hills.      And  here  is  another : 

"O  happy  day,  that  fixed  my  choice 

On  thee,  my  Saviour  and  my  God  I 
Well  may  this  glowing  heart  rejoice, 
And  tell  its  raptures  all  abroad." 

That  is  the  birth-song  of  many  a  soul.  It  car- 
ries me  back  through  the  years  to  a  frontier  town 
in  the  West,  where,  at  "the  mourners'  bench"  in 
a  Methodist  Church,  I  knelt  to  seek  the  pardon 
of  my  sins.      Or  take  this  hymn  of  heaven : 

"There  is  a  land  of  pure  delight. 
Where  saints  immortal  reign. 
In-fi-nite  day  excludes  the  night, 
And  pleasures  banish  pain." 

It  is  always  "in-fi-nite"  for  me,  because  my 
mother  pronounced  it  so.  I  hear  her  voice  now, 
in  the  chimney  corner  of  the  old  home — a  sweet, 
quavering  voice,  full  of  the  longing  of  a  ripened 


AN   EVENTFUL   MEETING  51 

saint  for  the  Land  o'  the  Leal.  She  has  long 
been  there  singing  the  praises  of  God. 

Oh,  there  are  many,  many  of  the  old  hymns 
that  lift  the  soul  to  the  very  gates  of  glory. 
What  shall  we  say  of  Wesley's  "Jesus,  lover  of 
my  soul,"  or  Toplady's  "Rock  of  Ages"  ?  Wes- 
ley and  Toplady  were  at  odds  in  their  theologies, 
so  that  many  a  bitter  word  passed  between  them ; 
but  I  imagine  they  had  scarcely  crossed  the 
threshold  of  the  Great  Temple  before  Wesley 
suggested  that  it  would  be  well  to  sing  "Rock  of 
Ages,  cleft  for  me,"  and  Toplady  called  for 
"Jesus,  lover  of  my  soul."  For  up  yonder  all 
differences  are  forgotten  and  all  voices  blend  in 
the  service  of  praise. 

So,  in  this  meeting  of  the  primitive  Church  it 
is  said,  "they  lifted  up  their  voice  to  God  with 
one  accord."  The  words  "with  one  accord"  are 
literally  "hearts  together."  Yes,  hearts  to- 
gether! And  voices,  too!  That  was  singing 
worth  going  to  hear.  There  were  women's  voices 
tremulous  from  the  strain  of  long  anxiety ;  and 
children's  voices  piping  up  to  a  Gloria  which 
their  dear  hearts  could  scarcely  grasp  as  yet ;  and 
men's  voices,  some  of  them  rough  and  hoarse 
from  the  stem  training  of  storms  on  Gennesaret ; 


52        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

but  they  all  had  a  mind  to  sing  that  day;  and 
they  sang  as  by  a  common  inspiration  and  "with 
one  accord,"  How  the  people  who  were  passing 
by  must  have  wondered  when  they  heard  it ! 

I  have  said  that  the  hymn  on  this  occasion  was 
an  old  one.  It  was  the  second  Psalm,  written  by 
David  a  thousand  years  before ;  but  it  was  as 
appropriate  as  if  it  had  been  prepared  for  that 
very  day.  It  was  the  Psalm  in  which  the  Lord 
is  represented  as  reading  the  Riot  Act  to  those 
who  conspire  against  him.      Here  it  is : 

"Why  do  the  nations  rage 
And  the  peoples  meditate  a  vain  thing? 
The  kings  of  the  earth  set  themselves, 
And  the  rulers  take  counsel  together, 
Against  Jehovah  and  against  his  anointed,  say- 
ing' 
'Let  us  break  their  bonds  asunder. 
And  cast  away  their  cords  from  us ! ' 
He  that  sitteth  in  the  heavens  will  laugh ! 
The  Lord  will  have  them  in  derision. 
Then  will  he  speak  unto  them  in  his  wrath 
And  vex  them  in  his  sore  displeasure: 
'Yet  I  have  set  my  King 
Upon  my  holy  hill  of  Zion!'  " 

What  strength  and  consolation  there  is  in  know- 
ing that  God  is  holding  up  the  pillars  of  the 


AN   EVENTFUL  MEETING  53 

world,  and  that  he  has  not  forgotten  but  cares 
for  all!  "Come,  Philip,"  said  Luther  to  his 
friend  Melanchthon  when  the  storms  of  the 
Reformation  were  beating  over-hard,  "come,  let 
us  sing,  'A  mighty  fortress  is  our  God.'  "  No 
organized  movement  against  the  propagation  of 
the  gospel — and  there  are  movements  all  the 
while  with  the  power  of  Kings  and  Councils  and 
Governments  behind  them — has  ever  been  or  ever 
shall  be  successful;  for  God  stands  pledged  to 
the  perpetuity  of  his  Church. 

Hammer  away,  ye  rebel  bands ; 

Your  hammers  break;  God's  anvil  stands!" 

THE    PRAYER 

The  prayer,  which  came  next  in  order,  was  a 
singular  one  in  many  ways.  There  was  no  re- 
quest for  exemption  from  persecution.  These 
petitioners  seemed  to  forget  themselves  in  a  great 
longing  for  the  triumph  of  the  Gospel  and  for 
personal  fidelity  along  the  way.  There  were 
three  things  which  they  desired  above  all,  to  wit : 
Faith,  Power,  and  Boldness. 

They  professed  their  Faith,  with  a  touching 
simplicity,  in  "thy  holy  Servant  Jesus."     Twice 


54        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

that  expression  is  used ;  as  if  they  were  standing 
by  the  cross  looking  up  into  the  face  of  the 
Crucified,  and  thinking  of  the  stupendous  con- 
trast between  this  apparent  defeat  and  the  recent 
baring  of  his  omnipotent  arm.  What  were 
"Herod  and  Pontius  Pilate  with  the  Gentiles 
and  the  peoples  of  Israel,"  all  put  together, 
against  the  power  of  the  Son  of  God?  They 
were  but  doing  "whatsoever  God's  hand  and  his 
counsel  foreordained  to  come  to  pass."  The 
Lord  would  have  his  way. 

And  then  the  prayer  for  Power,  "while  thou 
stretchest  forth  thy  hand  to  heal ;  and  that  signs 
and  wonders  may  be  done  through  the  name  of 
thy  holy  Servant  Jesus."  They  had  a  great 
promise:  "Ye  shall  receive  power  when  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  come  upon  you."  At  Pentecost  that 
promise  had  been  in  part  fulfilled ;  so  that  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  they  had  already  been  able  to  do 
many  wonderful  works.  God  wanted  them  to 
be  strong.  He  wants  us  to  be  strong.  He 
means  that  his  people  shall  do  "signs  and  won- 
ders. ' ''  The  power  of  converting  souls  by  bring- 
ing them  to  Christ — which  is  the  greatest  of  signs 
and  wonders — is  within  the  province  of  every 
Christian.     To   that   end  the   gift  of  power  is 


AN   EVENTFUL   MEETING  55 

vouchsafed  to  all  who  will  receive  it.  The  whole 
world  "groaneth  and  travaileth  in  pain  together 
until  now, ' '  waiting  for  the  revealing  of  the  sons 
of  God.  Oh,  to  be  willing  in  the  day  of  God's 
power — to  be  willing  to  be  as  strong  as  God 
wants  us  to  be ;  to  be  willing  to  receive  of  the  in- 
fluence of  his  Spirit  as  he  would  fain  bestow  it ! 

And  they  prayed  for  boldness,  too:  "Grant 
unto  thy  servants  to  speak  thy  word  with  all 
boldness. ' '  What  they  wanted  was  to  be  proof 
against  all  threatening,  all  fear  of  persecution, 
all  false  considerations  of  prudence,  all  the  ter- 
rors of  the  pointed  finger ;  to  be  bold  in  courts, 
in  councils,  at  home,  in  the  marketplace,  every- 
where ;  to  be  bold  with  the  courage  of  willing 
hearts,  of  strong  hands,  of  unlocked  lips. 

THE    BENEDICTION 

The  service  was  closed  with  the  benediction. 
And  God  pronounced  it.  For  "when  they  had 
prayed,  the  place  was  shaken,  and  they  were  alK 
filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit."  A  mighty  bene- 
diction that,  and  a  glorious  answer  to  their 
prayer !  It  was  an  afterglow  of  Pentecost.  The 
word  "shaken"  is  the  same  used  of  a  tempestuous 
sea,  when  masts  are  broken  and  shrouds  torn  by 


56        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

the  shrieking  winds.  The  breath  of  the  Spirit — 
the  wind  that  "bloweth  where  it  listeth" — had 
come  upon  them.  The  power  they  prayed  for 
was  given  before  they  expected  it.  God's  grace 
is  ever  better  than  our  prayers.  The  souls  of 
the  assembled  company  quivered  under  the  heav- 
enly gift.  Their  tongues  were  unloosed  and, 
fearless  of  a  thousand  dangers,  they  went  forth 
and  "spake  the  word  of  God  with  boldness," 
magnifying  the  name  of  Christ. 

The  meeting  was  over ;  but  its  influence  was 
destined  to  abide.  A  few  nights  ago  I  stood  on 
a  hilltop  at  Lake  Mohonk  and  saw  a  great  clus- 
ter of  lights  shining  in  a  distant  ravine.  It  was 
a  town  of  workmen,  engaged  in  building  the 
great  reservoir  which  is  to  furnish  the  water  sup- 
ply of  New  York.  So  this  meeting  of  the  primi- 
tive Church  sends  its  luminous  influence  down  the 
ages.  The  people  who  went  out  of  the  open 
court  that  day  were  the  germ  of  that  "Holy 
*  Catholic  Church"  which  in  millions  of  congrega- 
tions all  over  the  world  worships  the  Holy  Child 
to-day.  Its  praise  and  prayer  have  never 
changed ;  and  God  is  willing  as  ever  to  bestow 
his  benediction  upon  it.  Wherefore  let  us  lift 
our  voices  for  more  faith,  more  power,  more  bold- 


AN    EVENTFUL   MEETING  57 

ness,  that  we  maybe  worthy  of  our  high  privilege 
and  our  grave  responsibility.  We  are,  as  Chris- 
tians, for  the  most  part  what  we  desire  to  be. 
We  can  become  what  we  are  willing  to  be.  God 
will  always  make  us  what  we  specifically  ask  to 
be.  Therefore,  in  the  name  of  God's  holy  Servant 
Jesus,  let  us  fall  in  with  the  irresistible  march  of 
events,  and  with  faith,  power,  and  boldness  quit 
ourselves  like  men. 


AN    IDEAL   COMMUNITY 

THE  events  of  the  wonderful  day  culminated 
in  an  incident  which  was  destined  to  have 
far-reaching  consequences.  It  is  recorded  that 
"the  multitude  of  them  that  believed  were  of  one 
heart  and  soul ;  and  not  one  of  them  said  that 
aught  of  the  things  which  he  possessed  was  his 
own;  but  they  had  all  things  common." 

We  have  here  the  keynote  of  Communism. 
Alas,  what  strident  discords  have  followed  it! 
what  grotesque  perversions  of  social  order !  what 
brawls  and  bickerings  in  the  sacred  name  of 
brotherhood !  what  shouting  of  mobs  and  confu- 
sion worse  confounded !  Nevertheless,  back  of 
this  tortured  proposition  lies  a  splendid  truth,  if 
we  can  only  find  it. 

The  usual  definition  of  Communism  is  "  a  con- 
dition in  which  there  is  no  recognition  of  sepa- 
rate rights  to  property."  Socialism  is  applied 
Communism :  a  system  which  has  for  its  object 
the  reconstruction  of  society  on  the  basis  of  an 
58 


AN    IDEAL   COMMUNITY  59 

obliteration  of  property  rights.  The  underlying 
principle  is  a  general  distribution  of  goods. 
This  is  the  prolific  root  of  nearly  all  the  social 
heresies  which  have  prevailed  in  recent  times; 
and  their  origin  is  traced,  almost  without  excep- 
tion, to  this  incident  in  the  primitive  church. 
An  examination  will  show,  however,  that  they 
have  generally  been  as  far  removed  from  its  spirit 
as  night  from  day. 

A    MUTUAL   AFFAIR 

The  first  point  of  divergence  is  observed  in  the 
fact  that  this  Christian  community  was  distinct- 
ively a  mutual  affair.  There  was  nothing  com- 
pulsory about  it.  There  was  no  confiscation  of 
goods,  but  a  voluntary  giving  up. 

In  modern  Communism  there  is  a  frank  denial 
of  property  rights.  The  best  definition  of  a 
Communist  is  that  given  by  the  "Corn-law 
Rhymer' '  in  these  words : 

"What  is  a  Communist  ?    One  who  has  yearnings 
For  equal  division  of  unequal  earnings ; 
Idler  or  bungler,  or  both,  he  is  willing 
To  fork  out  his  penny  and  pocket  your  shil- 
ling." 

But  that  definition  does  not  apply  to  these  disci- 


60        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

pies.  There  was  no  confusion  of  the  terms  meum 
and  tuum.  There  was  no  attempt  to  subvert  the 
social  order  by  enforcing  the  maxim,  "What's 
yours  is  mine  and  what's  mine  is  my  own,"  but 
simply  a  cheerful  surrender  of  the  possessions  of 
each  for  the  benefit  of  all. 

As  if  to  prevent  any  misunderstanding,  at  this 
point,  mention  is  made  of  two  definite  cases. 
One  is  that  of  Barnabas,  known  as  the  ' '  Son  of 
Exhortation."  He  was  a  native  of  Cyprus, 
proverbial  for  its  wealth  and  luxury,  and  there- 
fore probably  a  wealthy  man.  It  is  recorded  of 
him  that  he  sold  his  land  "and  brought  the 
money  and  laid  it  at  the  apostles'  feet"  ;  that  is, 
he  placed  his  property  at  the  disposal  of  the 
Church,  as  a  steward  of  God. 

The  other  case  is  that  of  Ananias,  who  also 
disposed  of  his  property,  but,  privily  withhold- 
ing a  portion,  "brought  a  certain  part  and  laid 
it  at  the  apostles'  feet."  He  was  reproved  in 
these  words,  ' '  How  is  it  that  thou  hast  conceived 
this  thing  in  thy  heart?  While  thy  property 
remained,  did  it  not  remain  thine  own  ?  and  after 
it  was  sold,  was  it  not  in  thy  power  ?  Thou  hast 
not  lied  unto  men,  but  unto  God. ' '  Here  is  a 
distinct   recognition  of  the  rights  of  property. 


AN   IDEAL   COMMUNITY  61 

The  fault  of  Ananias  was  not  in  withholding, 

but  in  posing  as  a  Communist  while  "lying  unto 

God." 

A   BENEVOLENT   AFFAIR 

The  second  point  of  departure  is  in  the  fact 
that  the  Communism  of  the  early  Church  was 
purely  benevolent,  while  secular  Communism,  in 
its  various  forms  and  phases,  is  avowedly  selfish. 

The  thought  of  the  disciples  was  to  relieve  the 
necessities  of  the  poor ;  not  to  pull  down,  but  to 
lift  up.  There  was  no  clamoring  for  a  share  of 
what  belonged  to  others ;  but  every  one  was  eager 
to  do  what  he  could  to  help  his  fellow-men. 
The  root  principle  at  the  center  of  modern  Com- 
munism is  the  very  opposite ;  that  is,  to  destroy 
rather  than  to  build  up.  In  France  the  cry  is, 
' '  Down  with  the  old  order  of  things ! "  in  Grer- 
many,  "Down  with  feudal  rights!"  in  England, 
"Down  with  the  lords  and  nobility!"  in  Ire- 
land, "Down  with  the  landlords!"  in  Russia, 
' '  Down  with  government  and  order ! "  in  Amer- 
ica, "Down  with  capital!"  And  the  object 
always  is  to  give  the  man  at  the  bottom  a  share 
of  the  possessions  of  the  man  at  the  top. 

Let  us  ask  the  "Captain  of  Industry"  what  he 
has  to  say  about  it. 


62        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

"I  stand  for  capital.  I  began  as  a  poor  man 
and  have  worked  my  way  up.  I  have  made  my 
money  honestly,  and  I  mean  to  keep  it.  More 
than  that,  I  propose  to  invest  it  so  as  to  amass 
more,  if  possible.  Who  will  challenge  my  right 
thus  far  ?  I  intend,  still  further,  to  combine  with 
other  capitalists  for  mutual  help  and  protection 
and  increase  of  gain.  In  doing  this  I  am  well 
within  my  rights.  You  say  that  this  method 
will  force  other  smaller  factors  to  the  wall? 
That  is  their  lookout.  I  am  doing  nothing 
wrong  or  irregular;  but  only  insisting  on  my 
own. ' ' 

Let  us  ask  the  Union  workman  what  he  has  to 
say  about  it. 

"I  stand  for  labor.  I  have  no  money  to 
speak  of,  but  I  have  bone  and  sinew.  That  is 
my  asset,  and  I  propose  to  make  the  most  of  it. 
I  contend  for  the  maximum  of  wage  in  return  for 
the  minimum  of  toil.  That  is  my  right ;  and 
who  will  challenge  it  ?  With  this  end  in  view  I 
join  my  fellow-workmen  in  the  Union.  Who 
questions  my  right  to  do  that  ?  You  say  it  in- 
volves'the  closed  shop,'  and  deprives  the  non- 
union workman  of  his  job?  Why  not?  That 
is  his  lookout.     Let  him  come  into  the  Union. 


AN   IDEAL   COMMUNITY  63 

We  are  contending  for  our  rights,  and  we  intend 
to  have  them.      I  simply  want  my  own." 

Let  us  ask  the  man  on  the  bench  in  Madison 
Square  what  he  has  to  say  about  it. 

"I  stand  for  neither  capital  nor  labor.  I  am 
neither  a  millionaire  nor  a  workingman,  but  a 
plain  '  hobo. '  I  have  muscle,  but  I  do  not  intend 
to  use  it.  Why  not  ?  Because  the  world  owes 
me  a  living.  You  say  I  ought  to  be  a  producer 
and  add  my  contribution  to  the  public  weal? 
Why  so  ?  The  trouble  is  that  there  is  overproduc- 
tion now.  There  is  enough  money  lying  around 
loose  to  support  me  comfortably  if  I  could  only 
get  my  share  of  it.  I  am  a  Communist.  I 
want  what  is  coming  to  me.    I  insist  on  my  own. " 

So  runs  the  world  away.  "My  own!"  "My 
own!"  That's  it.  Selfishness  is  rampant.  Give 
me  my  rights !  But  the  gospel  speaks  not  of 
rights  but  of  privileges ;  not  of  claiming  but  of 
giving.  It  asks  not,  "What  can  I  exact  of 
others?"  but,  "What  can  I  contribute  in  the 
Name  for  the  benefit  of  those  about  me  ?  " 

A   RELIGIOUS   AFFAIR 

The  third  point  of  departure  marking  the  dif- 
ference between  secular  Communism  and  that  of 


64        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

the  early  Church  is  in  the  fact  that  the  latter  was 
distinctly  a  religious  movement.  God  was  back 
of  it  and  the  mind  of  Christ  was  in  it.  The 
motto  of  the  disciples  was  "To  do  good  and  to 
communicate  forget  not. ' '  Their  two  command- 
ments were,  "Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy 
God,"  and  "Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as 
thyself." 

The  best  illustration  of  secular  Communism  is 
the  French  Revolution.  It  began  with  a  formal 
enactment  of  the  Corps  Legislatif  in  these  terms, 
' '  There  is  no  God. ' '  The  red-capped  mob  caught 
up  the  cry  and  passed  it  along  the  streets, 
"There  is  no  God!"  That  night  The  Terror 
began ;  and  the  streets  of  Paris  ran  with  blood. 
The  best  men  of  the  nation  were  led  to  the  guil- 
lotine. The  test  of  loyalty  to  the  New  Order 
was  the  drinking  of  a  cup  filled  with  the  blood  of 
the  aristocracy.  The  homes  of  the  wealthy  were 
looted  and  a  practical  demonstration  was  afforded 
of  the  results  of  a  general  distribution  of  prop- 
erty. The  sanctions  of  government  were  de- 
stroyed ;  law  and  order  were  overturned ;  the 
foundations  of  the  great  deep  were  broken  up. 

We  find  another  illustration  of  the  same  sort 
in  the  "New  Harmony,"  established  by  Robert 


AN   IDEAL   COMMUNITY  65 

Owen  about  a  hundred  years  ago.  Owen  him- 
self was  an  open  and  avowed  infidel.  The  basis 
of  his  Community  was  announced  in  these  words : 
"The  trinity  of  evils  is  religion,  marriage,  and 
property."  The  result  was  a  very  Bedlam  of 
vicious  confusion  which  was  presently  scattered 
to  the  winds.  There  have  been  numberless  ex- 
periments of  like  character,  and  always  with  the 
same  outcome.  The  reformation  of  society  can 
never  be  effected  by  irreligion.  The  world  may 
be  lifted,  as  Archimedes  said ;  but  not  unless  you 
can  find  a  fulcrum  for  your  lever :  and  there  can 
be  no  fulcrum  which  does  not  rest  on  faith  in 
God. 

The  disciples  in  framing  this  original  Com- 
munity were  moved  by  their  conviction  that  God 
is  owner  of  all.  As  to  their  possessions,  whether 
much  or  little,  they  were  only  held  in  trust  until 
called  for. 

The  teaching  of  Christ  on  this  matter  is  clear. 
In  the  Parable  of  the  Talents  he  represents  him- 
self as  "a  man  going  into  another  country,  who 
called  his  own  servants  and  delivered  unto  them 
his  goods."  In  the  Parable  of  the  Pounds  he 
"gave  them  ten  pounds,  and  said  unto  them, 
Trade  ye  herewith  till  I  come. ' '     And  sooner  or 


66        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

later  "the  Lord  of  those  servants  cometh  and 
maketh  a  reckoning  with  them."  Meanwhile 
the  Christian,  as  a  steward,  holds  everything  on 
call.  The  moment  his  Lord  requires  his  own  the 
surrender  must  be  made.  A  tithe?  No,  ten 
tithes  if  called  for !  The  Lord  owns  all.  The 
penny  is  his ;  the  million  is  his ;  the  servant  is 
simply  a  trustee  for  him. 

No  Christian,  therefore,  can  speak  of  "his 
own."  This  was  the  fault  of  the  rich  man 
whose  ground  brought  forth  plentifully ;  so  that 
he  said,  "What  shall  I  do?  I  will  pull  down 
my  barns  and  build  greater ;  and  there  will  I  be- 
stow all  my  grain  and  my  goods.  And  I  will 
say  to  my  soul.  Soul,  thou  hast  much  goods  laid 
up  for  many  years ;  take  thine  ease ;  eat,  drink, 
be  merry.  But  God  said  unto  him,  Thou  foolish 
one,  this  night  is  thy  soul  required  of  thee ;  and 
the  things  which  thou  hast  prepared,  whose  shall 
they  be  ? "  The  man  spoke  of  "  my  grain, "  "  my 
barns,"  and  "my  goods,"  forgetting  the  prior 
and  absolute  claim  of  God.  It  is  to  be  feared 
that  many  are  accustomed  to  reason  in  the  same 
way. 

But  these  early  Christians  so  far  realized  the 
Lord's  proprietary  right  in  all  their  possessions 


AN   IDEAL   COMMUNITY  67 

that,  when  he  wanted  them,  they  were  instantly 
and  unreservedly  ready  to  restore  all.  "They 
brought  the  prices  of  the  things  that  were  sold 
and  laid  them  at  the  apostles'  feet."  This  was 
in  pursuance  of  their  Master's  word,  "Wherefore 
gavest  thou  not  my  money  into  the  bank,  and  I 
at  my  coming  should  have  required  it  with  in- 
terest ?"  The  Church  is  the  Lord's  ' '  Exchange, ' ' 
through  which  he  would  utilize  the  wealth  which 
he  has  committed  to  his  servants  to  be  held  for 
the  propagation  of  the  gospel  and  the  bringing 
of  the  world  to  God.  The  time  will  come  when 
all  God's  talents  will  thus  be  placed  at  his  com- 
mand :  and  then  his  messengers  will  run  to  and 
fro,  the  welkin  will  ring  with  the  song  of  salva- 
tion, and  the  earth  will  be  full  of  the  glory  of 
the  Lord  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea. 

A   PROPHETIC    AFFAIR 

The  fourth  point  of  departure  is  in  the  fact 
that  this  primitive  Community  was  not  a  mere 
experiment,  but  a  forecast  of  conditions  which 
are  to  prevail  in  the  last  days.  Plato's  "Ideal 
Republic"  was  a  castle  in  the  air.  More's 
"Utopia"  was  a  golden  dream.  Owen's  "New 
Harmony"  was  a  nightmare.     There  have  been 


68        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

hundreds  of  like  experiments,  all  ending  in  the 
same  way. 

The  Community  established  in  the  early  Church 
was  not  a  temporary  venture  into  cloudland ;  nor 
was  it  a  premature  endeavor  to  precipitate  the 
Golden  Age ;  nor  was  it  an  experiment  ending  in 
failure.  It  was  a  foregleam  of  the  Millennium, 
like  a  sun-spot  on  the  mountains,  painted  by  the 
light  shining  through  a  rift  of  overhanging 
clouds,  as  a  forecast  of  the  splendor  of  a  cloudless 
day.  It  was  the  setting  in  motion  of  great  prin- 
ciples which,  murmuring  still  like  a  subterranean 
river,  are  destined  to  reappear  and  assert  them- 
selves in  the  ultimate  Commonwealth  of  God. 

It  is  obvious  that  the  present  order  is  not 
right.  Things  are  out  of  joint.  God  never 
meant  that  different  classes  of  people  should  be 
forever  clutching  at  each  other's  throats  in  this 
world  of  ours.  In  the  Millennium  it  will  not  be 
so.  The  Millennium  will  be  heaven  on  earth. 
In  heaven  there  can  be  no  such  conditions  as 
prevail  among  us.  It  goes  without  saying  that 
there  no  classes  are  at  odds.  Dives  does  not  sit 
at  the  marriage  supper,  clothed  in  purple  and 
fine  linen  and  faring  sumptuously,  while  Lazarus 
lies  at  the  threshold  waiting  for  the  crumbs  that 


AN   IDEAL   COMMUNITY  69 

fall  from  the  table.  To  say  that  there  is  finally 
to  be  a  heaven  on  earth  is  to  affirm  that  present 
conditions  must  be  changed. 

"For  a'  that  an'  a'  that, 

It's  comin'  yet  for  a'  that, 
That  man  to  man,  the  world  o'er. 
Shall  brithers  be  for  a'  that!" 

Two  things  are  needed,  however,  before  the 
great  light  can  break  upon  us.  First  the  Church 
must  regain  its  lost  mission.  It  must  realize  the 
purpose  of  its  life.  The  Church  is  not  a  social 
organization,  not  an  Ethical  Society,  not  even  an 
organized  body  of  seekers  after  truth.  Nor  is  it 
a  great  company  of  people  engaged  in  prayer  and 
psalm-singing  or  in  seeking  their  own  salvation 
and  sanctification.  It  is  a  Guild  of  consecrated 
workmen  whose  sole  business  is  to  reorganize  the 
social  order  by  the  personal  betterment  of  souls 
in  bringing  them  to  Christ  and  so  restoring  the 
world  to  Grod. 

The  other  prerequisite  is  that  Christians  shall 
individually  regain  their  lost  commission.  The 
business  of  a  Christian  is  not  to  save  his  own 
soul,  or  to  build  up  character  for  himself,  how- 
ever important  these  may   be.      It  is  to  follow 


70        AT  THE   GATE   BEAUTIFUL 

Christ  in  the  giving  up  of  everything  for  the  bet- 
terment of  men.  The  mind  that  was  in  Christ 
Jesus  must  be  in  those  who  profess  to  follow 
him.  He  emptied  himself  of  his  glory  that  he 
might  be  servant  of  all.  He  had  nothing  which 
he  called  his  own.  That  Christ  is  in  the  world 
to-day,  the  living  Christ,  the  great  leveler,  not 
leveling  down  but  leveling  up.  "He  came  not 
to  be  ministered  unto  but  to  minister,  and  to  give 
his  life  a  ransom  for  many."  The  man  who 
bears  the  name  of  Christ  must  follow  him. 

To  speak  of  "giving  a  tithe,"  in  this  connec- 
tion, is  only  another  way  of  holding  to  the  nine 
tithes  as  our  own.  All  that  we  have  is  his. 
Give,  therefore ;  give  thy  penny  or  thy  million, 
as  the  case  may  be ;  give  time,  talents,  physical 
and  mental  strength ;  give  all !  The  man  who 
has  caught  the  spirit  of  Christ  holds  nothing  as 
his  own,  but  everything  in  trust  until  the  moment 
when  his  Lord  wants  it.  All  his  getting  is  sub- 
ordinate to  the  high  privilege  of  giving.  All 
his  rights  are  subservient  to  the  Golden  Rule. 
This  is  "the  great  renunciation."  This  is  the 
mind  which  was  in  Christ  Jesus. 

When  we  have  reached  the  point  where  we 
gladly  conceive  that  nothing  is  ours,   we  shall 


AN   IDEAL   COMMUNITY  71 

find  full  recompense  in  the  saying  that  is  written, 
"All  things  are  yours;  the  world,  life,  death, 
things  present,  things  to  come,  all  are  yours; 
and  ye  are  Christ's  and  Christ  is  God's." 


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